Yuma’s Livestock Community Faces Dog Attacks

The farm and livestock community in Yuma has been dealing with a spate of dog attacks that have led to injuries and deaths among local animals, including a 4-H animal, just days ahead of the county fair.

The owner of the affected livestock is pushing for accountability from the dog owner.

Kaitlyn Mann, a dairy goat farmer, shared her experience of two dog attacks on her property back in March. Among her losses were nine milking goats and animals belonging to a local child involved in 4-H.

The most recent attack occurred on Saturday, affecting her neighbor’s property. A group of dogs attacked, resulting in the deaths of three 4-H animals scheduled to be shown at the upcoming fair on Tuesday.

Following this incident, the animal control unit of the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office intervened to capture and handle the dogs.

Mann expressed how heartbreaking it was, marking a significant setback for her goat milking business, which she started around five years ago. “I think I’m going to have a kid, and I lost a good mom. I was looking forward to having milk again for cheese. Now it’s going to be a bit tougher,” she said.

Having lived on her property for over 30 years, she mentioned this situation is unprecedented. She suspects an increasing number of dog owners are abandoning their pets in the area. “They can’t take care of them anymore, so they just leave them behind instead of taking them to a humane society,” she noted.

Just days after the second attack on March 15, another event occurred approximately 14 miles away, where wolf dogs attacked farm animals and pets in a neighborhood. Security cameras recorded the incident, allowing the YCSO to seize the dogs from their owners.

The wolf dogs are currently housed at a local shelter, awaiting legal actions.

Locals have said that issues with wolf dogs have plagued the neighborhood for years. Mann was disheartened to learn that these attacks don’t only affect farmers. “These are people who raise and sell animals for a living. It’s surprising to hear similar stories from a couple of years ago,” she remarked.

In response to the threat, Mann is investing in additional security measures around her animal pens and has recently acquired a young livestock guard dog named Grim Reaper. “He might be a pup now, but he’ll be trained to protect the goats from any future threats,” she explained.

“We figured it would be wiser to take precautions rather than risk being unfortunate,” she added. “He’s going to be a guardian.”

Mann is hopeful that the YCSO’s livestock and animal control investigators will identify the owner responsible for the dog attacks on her farm.

In total, she estimates her losses at around $30,000 due to the deaths of 19 animals.